'Souvenir of Egypt' table runner : Corporal C H Livingstone, 6 Light Horse Regiment, AIF

Table runner in green and dark pink cotton sateen diagonally divided to represent the colour patch of 6 Light Horse Regiment, AIF. The runner is edged with white cotton lace, and is embroidered with machine chainstitch in various colours to show the unofficial badge of 6LHR, (a fighting cock with the words 'FIGHT ON FIGHT EVER') a Rising Sun badge, leaves, flowers, the pyramids, flags of Great Britain, France, Belgium and Italy, and the words 'Souvenir of Egypt'. The names of engagements in which the purchaser had participated are embroidered in machine chainstitch as follows: 'Gallipoli 1915', 'Romani 1916', 'Magdabah 1916', 'El 1916-17' (possibly originally intended to read 'El Arish') 'Rafa 1917', and 'Gaza 1917'.

Charles Henry Livingstone was born at Fremantle, Western Australia, in 1892. In 1912 he travelled to NSW, intending to see the eastern states before returning to his home at Harvey, WA. He was working in Sydney as a tram conductor when war broke out, and enlisted in October 1914, sailing as Trooper 663 with the 1st Reinforcements to 6 Light Horse Regiment. Livingstone landed at Gallipoli with his regiment on 20 May 1916, and served until the evacuation. He continued to serve throughout the Sinai and Palestine campaigns, and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions near Dhaheriye, north east of Beersheba, on 3 November 1917. Livingstone was en route to Australia on 'Anzac leave' when the war ended. He was discharged with the rank of Corporal in January 1919, and after a brief period in Western Australia, returned to NSW, where he worked as a tram driver in Sydney for 40 years. In retirement, he moved to Tasmania to live with his daughter, and died at Launceston in May 1985. The table runner is assumed to have been bought in Egypt during mid 1917.